Impeovemmt in tables foe concentrating ores



H. A. THOM PSON.

Patented Nev. 27. 1,866L

15: venan /H /ML Lnhognpmr. wnniigun. n. c,

tait@ i. tatrs stmt @ffice IMPRVEMENT IN TABLES POR CONCENTRATING GRES.

HENRY J@iLDRRsON THOMPSON, or GRANT, ,GTPPs-f LAND, vIeTORIn.,

Letters Patent No. 60,089, elated November 27, 1866.-` j iSPECIFICATION.

-TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: 1 y v p Be it known that I, HENRY ALDERsONTHOMPSON, of Grant, Gipps Land, British colony Victoria, have invented anew and improved Percussion Table for Goncentrating and Dressing Orcs;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and ei'ractdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled `in the art tomake and use the same, reference being .had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a table for concentrating anddressing ores, on which the material,`

i is kept in a loose state by means of stirrers, thus allowing a moreperfect concentration withless loss at one dressing than can be obtainedon the plan now generally used by means of several dressings.

In the percussion table now largely used" in ore-dressing, the materialon the table f rms a hard bank, which impedes the tendency of theheavier ores to concentrate, and consequently the sands or slimesoperated on have to be dressed several times before they are lbrought toa :suiiicient degree of richness. This repeated dressing addsconsiderably to the expense, and in each manipulation a loss of oreoccurs. These drawbacks render the pgrcussion table in its present forminapplicable to the separation of gold ores. VBy my invention thesedefects are completely overcome. To make the same more clearlyunderstood, I will now proceed to describe my apparatus and the mode ofoperating it, reference being had to the annexed drawing, in which-'-Figure I represents a side elevation of my improved table, the sidesupports, N, being removed. Figure 2 is an end view; and

Figure 3 an isometrical perspectiveview of the same. p Figure 4 is across-section through the stirrers, P Q, and their supports, O and N,taken on the line :v iig. 1.A Figure 5 is a cross-section throughthestirrer head, P, taken on the line y y, g. 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

i A Ais -the ordinary framework. B is the'. percussion table, ofsuiiicient length and width its `upper sur-` .face covered with boilerplate. -The table, B, lis. enclosed on the sides with boards, D, whichgradually incline upwards near 'the head, C, said head being` a solidwooden-block, its sides of a triangular shape, its surface beinginclined at an angle of about 22, as seenin figs. 1 and 3. The table issupported or hung on four chains,

with regulating screws on each in order to adjustthe lateral level ofthetable. The chains at the foot of the i table pass over rollers, F, ixedto the frame and acted upon by levers, G, as shown, for the purpose ofraising` and lowering that end of the table. The head-chains areattached to a rack, H, in order to permit the changing of theinclination of the chains, as by an increased inclination of the chainthe table is brought back with a sharper blown and the eil'ect of thepercussion increased. Iis the distributing-board, having `the usualtriangular distributing-blocks, upon which board the material .to betreated is fed. L, a cam working" `on a cam-shaft i which is made torevolve with the required velocity, so that the cam strikesV the lever,K, working on its axis, a, whereby the upper end of the lever, K, ispushed from the framing, while its lower end, which rests against thehead, C, of the table, pushes the'said table away from the block, M, tothe extent of` the stroke of the cam.

By its own gravity the table then falls backagainstthe block, and thusreceives the percussion blow. To` the i frame, A, are attachedside-bearers, N, which act as supports for the strrer frame, O, as shownin iig. 4. Pare transverse bars, provided with pins at their endshanging loosely in theirbearings, 0. To these bars `are attached thestirrers, Q, which are made of wire rods, of appropriate length, their`ends being slightly curved, as seen in iig. 5, for the purpose ofbetter sliding on the table, B. Two screws, R, pass through the mainframe', and are operated by handles, S. These screws are for the purposeof pushing the stirrer frame orbars, `0,

nearer to the head of the table, or 'uz'ce lbereut, as may be required;so that, should, for instance, the stroke of the Vtable be lessened,then it would be necessary that'the stirrers should 4be'nearer to thehead than before. i

I will now proceed to describe the operation of my apparatus: The lowerend of the table is first raised labout one inch above the level bymeans of the roller, F, operated by levers, Gr. The distributing-boardis then supplied with material and witli the necessary amount of wateruntil there `is about two and a half inches of depth of material at thelower end of the incline formed by the head, C. The table isthen'gradually `lowered in such a manner as to preserve constantly thisdepth of material. When the table is suiiicientlycharged with thematerial concentrated, the rsupply is cut oii' and a stream of water isadmitted at` the rate of about twelve gallons per minute, and continueduntil there is a good concentration of material at the head of thetable, the foot of the table having in the meantime been graduallylowered suilcently to allow ofthe waste material being waslied away,such lowering being in no case to a greater extent than about one inchbelow the,

level. 'lhe supply of clean water is then cut oand the action of lthetable stopped. The transverse pieces 1, 2, and 3 are lifted out, and thematerial lying o n the table from whence they have been removed is takenont and subjected to suitable treatment for the extraction of theprecious metals. The. stirrers l, 2, and?) are then replaced, the footof the table is elevated about three inches above the level, thepercussive action of the table is renewed, and the distributiugboard is`again supplied Awith fresh material. -The result is that the materialwhich remained on the table'returns after a few percussions to the head,where it is again subjected to the action of the table, together withthe fresh material. The foot of the table is then gradually lowered asbefore, always preserving,r the two and a half inches depth of materialat the head, as stated above. Instead of working continuously, as justdescribed, it may be preferable or necessary to work in charges. In thiscase the lower end of the table must be raised sufficiently high toallow the table to hold the charge, which should be placed at the head,as much water being continuously supplied as would keep the materialloose. The table is then put in motion and kept at work until thevaluable material is concentrated at the head, when the foot isgradually lowered and the waste material washed olf with an increasedsupply of water; the front stirrers may then be lifted out and thcmaterial removed as before. l

Having 'thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- The combination of' the frame A, supports N,and screws R, with the table B, stirrers Q, and stirrer frame O,substantially as and for the purposes herein shown and described.

The above speciication of my invention signed by me this 26th day ofJuly, 186e,

HENRY ALDERSON THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

THoMVAs Dominee,

EDWARD WATERS,

canso

